Saturday, April 23, 2011

What an amazing looking spider! Theridion grallator, also known as the Happy Face Spider, is a remarkable looking arachnid found in Hawaii. Though keep in mind, not all individuals have such distinctive markings; the species varies from island to island, with some having no happy faces at all!

Some scientists think that the Happy Face Spider may have evolved it markings to ward off birds and other potential predators, but not one really knows for sure yet. Happy Face Spiders live on leaves, and spin webs. Interestingly, the females will guard their eggs before they hatch.

Though they are not listed yet by the IUCN, Happy Face Spiders are becoming threatened. They live only on very specific islands, whose fauna are at risk from introduced species.